


Back in time

by JohnSpangler



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 08:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15626766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnSpangler/pseuds/JohnSpangler
Summary: Are you tired of those time travel stories where the good guy changes the past? Have you ever wondered what would happen if the time traveller was a villain? Then read this story, and find out what would happen if Akainu was the time traveller.





	Back in time

AN: This story was originally posted two years ago on an Italian site, and after completing the translation on alternatehistory.com and spacebattles, I’m posting it here and on ff.net. If you like it, or even if you don’t, please let me know with a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

  
Back in time

Somewhere in the New World  
Some time after Doflamingo's defeat

Even when he wasn't angry, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki had a terrifying aura that prompted most people to give him a wide berth.

Try to imagine what kind of atmosphere there was at that particular time, with the Fleet Admiral constantly thinking of the recent disaster at Dressrosa. The marines in the base were afraid even just of thinking about him. Ever since he'd come there, Sakazuki had spoken very few words, preferring standing in a corner of the corridor thinking or watching the experiments that were being made in the laboratory in front of him.

As far as he could remember, Sakazuki had never been so angry. What had happened was unconceivable, to say the least. The world had basically bent to the will of that despicable Doflamingo. Not to mention his defeat, or better, the people who had defeated him, and what had been found out later. The mere thought filled him with rage. And that idiot Fujitora...if he came back without completing his mission, bringing him the heads of Straw Hat and Law, he would personally kill him.

He cursed and punched the metal wall, scaring the shit out of some nearby scientists. There were some days when he thought that becoming Fleet Admiral of the Marines hadn't been such a good idea, and that maybe he should resign. But he knew he would never do it. He had devoted most of his life to Justice and the Marines, and he would keep on doing so until his last day, whatever happened. He was a true marine, not like that stupid Kuzan, who had resigned after their fight at Punk Hazard.

If only we didn't have to deal with that kid, thought the marine lighting a cigar with his powers. Much of his anger was directed toward Straw Hat Luffy, the young pirate who seemed to bring troubles with himself wherever he went. If only he'd be so kind as to die once and for all, his job would be much easier.

"Ehm...sir?"

One of the scientists, a thin boy with thick and round glasses, had approached him and was looking at him with fear in his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Ehm...I just...wanted to remind you...ehm...that you can't smoke in here. Well, if..." A look from the Fleet Admiral silenced him instantly. "Ehm...actually...don't mind it, sir. Smoke as much as you want." And so the boy run away with the speed of a lightning.

Sakazuki grunted. He'd never like scientists. To him, they were a bunch of spineless idiots, hiding into their laboratories to avoid problems that could be solved with some good old brute strenght. However, he had to admit they were kind of useful. Without them, the Marines would never have got all that technological stuff that had allowed them over the years to better do their job, like for example the seastone bottoms for the warships or the Pacifistas. And most of the recent technological advancements were entirely due to doctor Vegapunk. The Fleet Admiral had met the scientist more than once, and he had to admit that, despite everything, he quite liked him. He really was a decent person.

Right now, Vegapunk was in his laboratories together with some assistants. Sakazuki saw him through the glass while he was talking with some of them and, at the same time, was trafficking with a machine vaguely resembling a huge oven, but that, from what the scientist had said, was in fact a time machine.

He chuckled at the thought. A time machine. Sure, sure. And yet, despite his skepticism, part of him had gotten curious and decided to come give it a look. With that brain of his, Vegapunk could really be able to make such a thing. Besides, his institutional role forced him to be present at any event that could be potentially significant for the government.

From the other side of the glass, Vegapunk turned, saw him and waved at him. Sakazuki waved back and kept on smoking his cigar.

Then, suddenly, red lights started flashing everywhere, followed by deafening alarms. The scientists and the other people in the laboratory seemed to go into a panic.

Curious, Sakazuki went into the laboratory. "What's happening?"

Vegapunk run to him. He looked scared to death. "Fleet Admiral, you must leave this place. What you've just heard was the signal for a malfunction in the machinery."

"So what? Is it dangerous?"

"It is! The machine could well explode. Me and my men will do our best to avoid it, but in any case, leave this place, please."

Sakazuki was about to answer, but just when he was going to open his mouth, Vegapunk's prediction came true. The machine exploded, and a wave of energy overwhelmed all the people in the room.

The Fleet Admiral barely had the time to wonder what the hell was happening, when the wave hit him too. He was violently thrown against the wall, and the world around him began to disappear. Finally, he fainted.

When he came to, he noticed he was laying on what seemed to be stone. He also heard some voices from somewhere around him.

"Where the fuck does this guy come from?"

"Don't know, he appeared all of a sudden."

"Is this some kind of Devil Fruit?"

"Hey, look at his clothes. He's a marine like us."

"Hurry, someone call the Fleet Admiral!"

Those words completely woke him up. Fleet Admiral? He was the Fleet Admiral! How could they not recognize him? And most importantly, what the hell had happened? Where was Vegapunk?

Slowly, he stood up and took a look around. There were many marines looking at him with a mixture of astonishment and worry, and some of them even had their hands on their weapons.

Then, a look at the buildings left him stunned. They all had an incredibly familiar look. If he hadn't known it to be impossible, he would say he was somewhere in Marineford. The old Marineford, just like it was when he'd joined the Marines. But it couldn't be. After the War of the Best, that place had lost its old appearance.

"Could someone explain me what the hell is happening?"

That voice...it too was familiar, but...it couldn't be him.

From behind the small group of marines around him came an officer. Sakazuki couldn't believe his eyes. It was...it was him. But how...it was all so absurd. How could he be so young?

"C-commander-in-Chief Kong?"

The other man scowled at him. "What the hell are you saying? I am CAPTAIN Kong."

XXXXXX

Somewhere in the Grand Line

The two men left the tavern each with an arm on the other's shoulders. Both were singing very loudly, clearly drunk.

"BIIINKSSSSS SAKEEEEE!!!" shouted one of them, a hearty young man with black hair and a straw hat on his head.

The other one, with blond hair and round glasses, echoed him with a burp. Passers-by looked at them disgusted.

The boy with the straw hat cleaned his mouth with the back of his hand and laughed. "Fucking hell, Ray, you really drink like a fish!"

"You're one to talk! You drunk much more than me, Roger."

The two young drunkards were none other than Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh, the future Pirate King and his first mate. However, that time was yet to come. Now they were just two young pirates looking for some fun. They had arrived with their ship a few hours earlier, and in a few minutes the entire crew had scattered in various parts of the docks. Some of them had gone to take a look at the local brothels, others had chosen to try their luck in a casino. And some, like them, had instead opted to enter a tavern and leave it only after getting wasted. And like anyone else could see, their mission had been successful.

Roger rubbed his left temple. "Mmh...I think I've drunk too much. My head hurts."

"That'll teach you...HIC! Anyway, what do we do now?"

"Mmh...what about looking for another tavern?"

"Why not." They laughed loudly and left the place.

Unfortunately, all the alcohol into their bodies had seriously compromised their sense of direction, and, without meaning it, they entered the abandoned area of the docks. They walked for almost fifteen minutes, stopping only when they saw the sea in front of them.

"Oh...where are we?" said Rayleigh.

"I don't know...but sure as hell there is neither a tavern nor rum in here."

"I think you're right...come on, let's go back."

"Freeze!" an authoritarian voice suddenly barked from behind them. The two pirates turned and saw a squad of marines accompanied by an officer.

In normal circumstances, they would start fighting, or they would run the hell away from here. However, aside from their sense of direction, alcohol had ruined their other mental faculties too, Haki included. So, the two young men just chuckled.

"Look who's there! The marine boys."

"Are you too here for some booze? If so, join us!"

"Are you Silvers Rayleigh and Gol D. Roger?" asked the officer, his arms crossed and with an icy stare.

"Hey, did you hear him, Ray? They know our names!"

"I can't believe it, we're famous?"

"Are you, yes or not?!" the marine screamed impatiently.

"Heeyyy, don't get aaangry man. Yessshhh, it's ussss..." mumbled Roger.

The officer nodded. "Very well." He stepped sideways, in order to not be between his men and the two pirates. "Men, fire!"

As stated previously, Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh would later become two famous pirates. However, this would happen in the future of another world, very different from this one.

In this world, Roger and Rayleigh were killed by a squad of marines in the abandoned area of the docks on an island of the Grand Line. Their bodies, riddled with bullets, fell on the ground with a deaf thud, and Roger's straw hat fell down from his owner's head. Being that area far from the busiest streets of the town, nobody noticed anything. An inglorious end, for two promising young men such as them.

The officer looked at the two corpses, satisfied. "Nice job, men."

"What should we do with the bodies, sir?" asked one of the marines.

The officer pointed at some big stones laying in a corner. "Put those into their pockets and throw them into the sea. The orders were to not leave traces." And they were truly strange orders, thought the marine officer while his men followed his order. Finding and then killing every member of the crew led by Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh, two young pirates who'd just begun to travel the seas. Why on earth his superiors had ordered such a thing was beyond him. However, he'd obeyed without arguing. Orders were orders.

From the corner of his eye he saw the black haired pirate's straw hat, that the wind had taken a few inches away from him. He came near it and picked it up, taking a moment to look at it. It really was a nice hat. He was briefly tempted to keep it and bring it home, but then he remembered the orders. He had to leave no traces.

He shred the hat to pieces and threw them into the water, right when his men where doing the same with the bodies of the two young pirates. He stayed for a moment watching the two bodies sinking, and finally he left, followed by the other marines.

And so it was that the Great Pirate Age ended before it had even begun.

XXXXXX

Foosha Village, East Blue

Monkey D. Garp was staring at the small coffin that the undertaker was covering with earth. Near him, Sengoku and Tsuru stood silent, still shocked by the tragedy that had befallen their friend.

The three of them were on a mission in the Grand Line when they'd gotten the news of a pirate attack on Foosha village. Garp had immediately left for his home island, and they'd gone with him.

Unfortunately, they couldn't do much. By the time they'd arrived, the pirates had already left, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. Most of the village had been destroyed, and many of its inhabitants had been brutally killed.

Among them, Dragon, Garp's young son.

It had been a terrible discovery for the marine. His wife had died in childbirth, and now that Dragon was with her he had nobody left in the world.

Nobody aside from us, thought Sengoku while the undertaker finished his work and left. He, Garp and Tsuru had always been very close, ever since they'd started marine training. They were more than friends. They were the closest thing to a family he'd left. It wouldn't be easy, but they'd everything to support Garp and try to soothe his pain.

Tsuru put a hand on Garp's shoulder. "Let's go now, Garp. You need rest."

The marine kept on staring at his son's grave. "Why?" he said after a moment of silence.

His two friends exchanged a glance. "What do you mean, Garp?" asked Sengoku.

"Why..." A tear crossed his cheek. "Why...did they kill him? He was...just a kid."

Sengoku and Tsuru didn't know what to answer.

"He liked running, and playing in the woods, and wrestling." He sobbed. "He was a troublemaker, but I loved him...why did they kill him?"

Tsuru said the very first thing that came to her mind. "Pirates are monsters."

Garp nodded. "Yes, the pirates." He sighed and lowered his head. Little by little, his look began to darken, until it turned into a mask of wrath and hate that scared his friends.

"Garp..." Sengoku had never seen his friend looking like that.

Finally, Garp talked again. "Pirates...the scum of the seas. They think they can do whatever they want, they steal, destroy everything in their path and kill innocents..." He clenched his fists so much that he left nail marks on the palms of his hands. "Sengoku, Tsuru...mark my words. I swear on my son's grave, and on every other innocent victim's in Foosha, that I will not rest until every single pirate to ever cross the seas meets the end he deserves. I swear!"

Sengoku and Tsuru were dumbfounded.

In another world, Monkey D. Garp became the famous as the Hero of the Marines, champion of Justice. Father to Monkey D. Dragon, founder of the Revolutionary Army, and grandfather to pirate Straw Hat Luffy.

But in this world, devastated by the death of his son, Monkey D. Garp became known as Garp the Demon, bane of pirates, a marine whose ferocity slowly made him indistinguishable from those he fought against.

XXXXXX

Ohara Island, West Blue

Ever since he'd joined the Marines, Zephyr had seen more than once the results of pirates cruelty. However, nothing of what he'd seen could even remotely be compared to the horrible sight that greeted him after he'd left the ship together with his men.

Ohara Island had been completely destroyed.

Everywhere he turned, he only saw destroyed houses and piles of corpses. Far away, the smoking remains of what must have been a huge tree.

"Oh my..." muttered the marine near him. "Who could do this?"

"Pirates. At least, so said the message we'd received." answered Zephyr.

"But...it makes no sense. Why would they do such a thing?"

"Are you even wondering? Pirates are scum." He had to admit there actually was something odd about it, though. Ohara was an island of scholars. The ancient books in its libraries were the only things of value that could be found there, but what would pirates do with them? Unless they'd arrived there looking for some kind of treasure, and, disappointed, had decided to destroy the island. This made sense, but which pirate could do such a thing? Of the ones he knew, no one came to mind. Maybe it was a newbie, someone intent on making a name for himself...

His thought were interrupted when he heard a moan coming from a pile of corpses on his right.

"What was it?"

Another moan.

"Wait...maybe there's someone alive. Hurry, go check!"

The other marines begun moving the corpses of the pile, and then Zephyr saw his hypothesis confirmed. Because, hidden in the pile, there was a still living woman (even though judging from her look she didn't have much time left), clutching a very young baby to her chest.

The woman raised her eyes and smiled. "The Marines...thank God..."

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?" asked Zephyr.

"Pirates...they came at dawn. They...destroyed everything..."

Zephyr nodded. Here's another confirmation. He felt a wave of rage through his body, and swore to himself to find the culprits. "Don't worry, ma'am, we'll take care of those butchers. But first we'll move you and your child somewhere safe. Can you stand?"

"No...it doesn't matter. I haven't much time left. I only ask you...my daughter..." With trembling arms, she held out her daughter to the marine.

Zephyr nodded and took the baby in his arms. "We'll bring her with us. What's her name?"

"O-olvia. N-nico Olvia." And then the woman closed her eyes and died, and the baby burst into tears.

"Hush, little one. It's all right. I'll take care of you." Zephyr clutched the baby girl to his chest and tried to calm her. After a while she stopped crying and closed her eyes.

Zephyr then turned to his men. "Hurry, search the area. There could be other survivors nearby." His men run in all directions, while he stayed there with the child.

Monsters...only monsters would do this, he though looking around himself. He stroke little Olvia's hair. Poor girl. But don't worry, I'll take care of you. I'll raise you, and I'll hunt down the monsters that destroyed your home. I promise.

XXXXXX

Many years after Sakazuki's arrival into the past  
Marineford

Sakazuki coughed and put on the desk a report he'd just received, smiling in satisfaction. A CP0 agent masked as a fishman had successfully killed Fisher Tiger, vanishing soon after. Another part of his plan gone perfectly.

After overcoming the initial shock of realizing he truly had travelled in time, he'd decided to take advantage of that chance to do something he'd have considered impossible until a while back: changing the past.

The Gorosei were immediately interested in his tale, and together they'd conceived a plan that many would judge cruel, but that would make the world a better place.

Now, without Roger, there would be no Great Pirate Age. Nobody to set an example for the other pirates to follow.

Without Dragon, there would be neither Revolutionary Army nor Straw Hat. And with Garp enraged by the death of his only child, he'd received a huge contribution to his plan.

Without the scholars of Ohara, nobody would be able to translate the Poneglyphs to use the Ancient Weapons. A single Oharan had survived, Nico Olvia, but Sakazuki had chosen to let her live. Years later, she'd become a prominent Marine officer. And, most importantly, she had no daughters.

He'd had to wait to do some things, like killing Fisher Tiger, who wasn't even born when he'd arrived into the past. Or killing Doflamingo and his family after they'd left Mariejois. But in the end he'd succeeded.

Unfortunately, some elements had escaped him. Kaido and Big Mom had still managed to create their criminal empires, even though weaker compared to his original timeline. On the other hand, he'd been luckier with other elements: Whitebeard and Shiki, without Roger acting as a buffer, had started a rivalry culminated with what many people called "the War of the Best", a vicious battle where the two pirates had killed each other together with their crews (and among the dead, there'd been Marshall D. Teach).

Overall, even though he hadn't completely wiped out the pirates, he could consider himself satisfied. Many innocents had died, but he didn't care much about it. They'd died in the name of Justice, after all.

He smiled and coughed again. Now there was only one thing left he had to take care of.

Someone knocked at the door. "Come in."

Another marine, younger than him, entered the room.

"Holy..." The other marine looked at him flabbergasted.

"I know, it's weird, but it's reality. Sit." He waited for the younger man to sit and talked again. "Did the Gorosei tell you everything?"

The other man nodded.

"Good. Let's not waste time, then." He opened a drawer and took a gun, and then placed it on the desk. "Come on, take it."

The younger marine obeyed. "Is it really necessary?"

"Yes. I did everything I had to do. And you're the only one I would allow to do such a thing."

"But...I mean..."

"Stop whining!" He punched the desk. "You know my condition. I'd rather die than rotting little by little because of a fucking cancer!"

Some years ago, he'd found out he had brain cancer. Doctor Vegapunk (his younger counterpart, one of the few people who knew about his time travel) had ascribed it to the machine that had sent him into the past. For a while he'd managed to keep it at bay with some special medicines created by Vegapunk, but in the end the scientist had had to surrender. And so, Sakazuki had decided to summon the person currently in the room with him.

The younger marine nodded. "That's what I think as well."

Sakazuki smiled. "It's no wonder. After all, you and me are the same person." He coughed. "Enough with talking. Do your duty, Sakazuki."

The younger Sakazuki looked at the gun, a special weapon loaded with seastone bullets. Then he aimed it at his older counterpart, and fired.

Before the bullet hit him, the marine allowed himself one last smile, thinking of all the things he'd done in the name of Justice. Then he was hit right between his eyes, and the world around him vanished.


End file.
